1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to water amusement attractions and rides. More particularly, the disclosure generally relates to a system and method for a water transportation system. Further, the disclosure generally relates to water-powered rides and to a system and method in which participants may be actively involved in a water attraction. Certain embodiments include one or more composite trees that may support one or more elevated structures.
2. Description of Related Art
The 1980's witnessed a phenomenal growth in participatory family water recreation facilities (e.g., water parks) and in water oriented ride attractions in traditional themed amusement parks. In the current main genre of water ride attractions (e.g., waterslides, river rapid rides, log flumes), participants walk or are mechanically lifted to a high point, where gravity enables water, rider(s), and riding vehicle (if appropriate) to slide down a chute or incline to a lower elevation splash pool, whereafter the cycle repeats. Some rides can move riders uphill and downhill but for efficiency and performance reasons these rides also generally start on an elevated tower and generally require walking up steps to reach the start of the ride.
Generally, traditional downhill water rides are of short duration (normally measured in seconds of ride time) and have limited throughput capacity. The combination of these two factors quickly leads to a situation in which patrons of the parks typically have long queue line waits of up to two or three hours for a ride that, although exciting, lasts only a few seconds. Additional problems like hot and sunny weather, wet patrons, and other difficulties may create a poor overall customer feeling of satisfaction or perceived entertainment value in the water park experience.
Additionally, typical downhill water park rides are not designed to transport guests between rides. In large amusement parks, transportation between rides or areas of the park may be provided by a train or monorail system, or guests may walk from ride to ride or area to area. These forms of transportation have relatively minor entertainment value and are passive in nature, in that they have little if any active guest-controlled functions such as choice of pathway, speed of riders, or rider activity besides sightseeing from the vehicle. These forms of transportation are generally unsuitable for water parks because of high installation and operating costs and poor ambience within the parks. These types of transportation are often unsuitable for water park guests who, because of the large amount of time spent in the water, are often wet and want to be more active because of the combination of high ambient temperatures in summertime parks and the normal heat loss due to water immersion and evaporative cooling. Water helps cool guests and encourages a higher level of physical activity. Guests also want to stay in the water for fun. Water parks are designed around the original experience of a swimming hole combined with new sports, such as river rafting or tubing. A desirable feeling for some guests is one of natural ambience and organic experience. A good river ride combines calm areas and excitement areas like rapids, whirlpools, and beaches. Mechanical transportation systems do not fit in well with these types of rides. There exists a need in water parks for a means of transportation through the park and between the rides.
For water rides that involve the use of a floatation device (e.g., an inner tube or floating board), the walk back to the start of a ride can be particularly arduous if the rider has to carry the floatation device from the exit of the ride back to the start of the ride. Floatation devices may be transported from the exit to the entrance of the ride using mechanical transportation devices, but these devices are expensive to purchase and operate. Using a mechanical transportation device for the floatation device or having the guest walk with the floatation device may reduce guest enjoyment, cause excess wear and tear on the floatation devices, contribute to guest injuries, and make it impossible for some guests to access the rides. In addition, a park that includes many different non-integrated rides may require guests to use different floatation devices for different rides, which makes it difficult for the park operators to provide the guests with a general purpose floatation device. It is advantageous to standardize riding vehicles for rides as much as possible.
Typically, water parks cover a large area. Guests may pass through an entrance and by a changing room area upon entering the park. Rides and picnic areas located in areas distant to the entrance may be underused in relation to rides and areas located near the entrance. Popular rides may be crowded, with guests waiting in queue lines for entry. This may lead to guest dissatisfaction and general reduction of optimal guest dispersal throughout the park. The lack of an efficient transportation system between rides accentuates this problem in water parks.
Water parks may close intermittently due to inclement weather. Depending on the geographic location of the water park, the water park may be open less than half of the year. Water parks may be closed due to uncomfortably low temperatures associated with winter. Water parks may be closed due to inclement weather such as rain, thunderstorms, and/or any other type of weather conditions that might limit participant enjoyment and/or participant safety. Reducing the number of days the water park is open may lower the profitability of the water park.
Water parks may encounter problems including issues with transporting people and potential participants to and from locally available temporary accommodations. Groups of people (e.g., families) may travel great distances to water parks to make a family trip or a vacation out of the experience. People may then rent temporary lodgings close to the water park. Some water parks may provide temporary accommodations for guests. This not only solves the problem of transporting guests from local accommodations, but also provides further revenue to the water park.
Providing temporary accommodations to guests, however leads to additional problems. When a water park provides guest accommodations, greater amounts of land may be required to build the water park, thereby increasing costs of the water park. Increasing land requirements for water parks typically increases the distances of water parks from major metropolitan areas. Increasing distances from major metropolitan areas potentially increases time and/or money required of potential guests, consequently reducing potential numbers of guests as well as revenues.
It is therefore desirable that new methods and systems be developed for providing lodgings easily accessible by water park guests. It is further desired that the methods and systems provide lodgings and/or facilities for water park guests that will not significantly increase the footprint of the water park.